1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flexible toy track. More specifically, the present invention relates to a flexible track for a toy vehicle having interlinking components, providing an angle to each track segment with respect to its adjacent track segments so as to curve the track and having teeth mating with edges for selectively maintaining the track in a curved configuration.
2. Description of Related Art
For many years, toy trains have been popular, especially among children. Frequently, toy trains are constructed to run along a toy train track. A number of different types of children""s toy train tracks have been suggested in the past. These train tracks typically have sections of wood, plastic or metal which are straight or curved and which can be interconnected by the child to form a circuitous toy train track along which a toy train can be rolled without interruption on the track. In one conventional arrangement, a first track section having a tongue at one end is connected by mating the tongue to a receiving slot or groove in a second track section, and this arrangement repeats for the length of the train track. This arrangement generally does not allow for significant flexibility in the construction of a closed loop train track. One problem arises in that the standard curved track has a fixed radius of curvature; it is difficult to create an interesting and closed loop when one has a finite number of choices of curved sections from which to choose. Other structures for interconnecting train tracks that have been used in the past have generally been found to be overly complicated or do not provide a mechanism for locking the train track segments in a selected position of curvature. There is a need for a toy train track that is simple in construction and allows for flexibility in the connection between adjoining train track sections so as to allow the user playing with the track to arrange it in different curvatures as desired while maintaining continuity of the track sections.
An object of the present invention is to provide a track for a toy vehicle that allows for flexibility in the curvature and connection between adjoining train tracks.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a track for a toy vehicle that may be manipulated by the child to form different curvatures.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a simple mechanism for maintaining a track segment in a curved position relative to adjacent track segments, while maintaining contiguity of the track sections so that a train can pass thereover without derailment.
The above and other objects are fulfilled by the invention, which is a track for a toy vehicle. The inventive track, capable of being curved into a wide variety of curves, includes at least one end segment, and at least one middle segment.
The end segment is at least one of i) a male segment having a tongue projecting from one of a first end and a second opposite end and having teeth protruding from the other of the first and second opposite ends; and ii) a female segment having an aperture to receive the tongue and a first cavity to receive the teeth of either a male segment or a middle segment. The middle segment is attachable to the male segment and/or the female segment and pivotably attaches to at least one of the male and female segments.
The middle segment has any one of the following configurations: i) a second cavity and a second set of protruding teeth disposed on opposite ends of the middle segment; ii) a second cavity and a third cavity disposed on opposite ends of the middle segment; and iii) a second set of protruding teeth and a third set protruding teeth disposed on opposite ends of the middle segment. Thus, a middle segment can have teeth on both ends, tooth-receiving cavities on both ends, or a set of teeth on one end and a cavity on the other. One or more segments can be joined to other middle segments, to male and to female segments.
The first set of teeth of the male segment are selectively engageable with the first cavity of the middle segment and the set of teeth of the middle segment are selectively engageable with the first cavity of the female segment. When the first and second sets of teeth, respectively, engage the first and second cavities, the middle segment is fixedly angled with respect to the end segment. By repeating this pivotably angled structure between a number of middle segments, the curvature of the track can be altered to the taste and specifications of the user. That the teeth of one segment engage the cavity of an adjacent segment means that the angle between two segments (and, by extension, the curvature of the overall track) is xe2x80x9clockedxe2x80x9d and only adjustable with the application of force; that is, the various segments of the inventive track do not flop around freely and loosely but rather retain their relative positions unless positioned differently by the user.
Further, gaps are preferably provided between the paths formed on the tops of the various segments. As the wheel or other part of the toy vehicle rides over these gaps, it produces a clacking sound which simulates the sound of a running train, for example.